Joshua looked at his heavily pregnant wife who was already fast asleep. He couldn’t help marveling at how much love for her he had in his heart. She had given him a recap of her day with the Ojos amidst being tired and drowsy.
The room they are lodged in was super cozy and had sufficient modern comfort. The bedding was super soft that he could understand how his wife sank into sleep so fast.
Mummy Ojo had given Daniella two soft material bubu gowns to serve as the night wear as well as some toiletries for them to freshen up. She mentioned that if they needed a copy of the Bible, there was one on the reading desk in the room. She also came along with a brand new polo shirt for him and slacks. They were also quite comfortable. Joshua planned to wear it the next morning not to bed.
Joshua had eaten dinner with Daddy Ojo and he was so enamored by the older man’s humility. It was in their light and hearty chatting that Joshua got to know that they had more than the pure water factory business. Their company started with the pure water factory but they ventured into textile, and plastic and these companies have renowned names in the industrial world.
Joshua could not stop himself from roaming their house with his eyes and thinking to himself that with the kind of money they had as such business owners, their house looked cheap and humble indeed. With the kind of wealth God has blessed them with, they surely are humble people!
Gideon Ojo did not say anything much or serious as they ate together, just simple questions of getting to know him, Joshua, better. Not long after dinner, they had the night devotion together. Joshua noticed how Theresa really felt at home with the Ojo. They would pass for her parents.
Joshua observed how Theresa soaked in every word that the couple said and he could not fault her. The Ojo’s were armed with sound and solid Biblical knowledge and doctrine. They are a couple anyone could look up to.
Devotion soon passed and each had gone to their room to spend the night. Noticing that there was no water close-by for Daniella, he knew he had to go downstairs to get some. Daniella would always want water close to her bed side since she got pregnant.
Joshua quietly made his way down stairs towards the dining to get a bottle of water from the fridge stationed there. He saw Theresa grab one from there earlier. As he turned the arc into that space, he was surprised to find Gideon seated there at the dining with a cup of tea, an opened Bible, and writing materials.
Gideon looked up and smiled at Joshua, ‘Sorry I startled you? I came downstairs in case I needed to pray out loud and I did not want to disturb your sleep with my prayer. Do you need something?’
Joshua who was more glad than surprised to see the man with a well-read Bible had his respect for the man grow an extra thick layer. ‘I am alright sir. Nothing special. I just wanted to grab a bottle of water for Daniella. She is fast asleep though.’
Oh, let me get that for you. The bottles in there are small. Let me get you a one litter bottle. That will be better. ‘
Gideon stood and went to the kitchen while Joshua waited and had a little extra time to feed his eyes with the man’s Bible. The Bible had all sorts of colour highlights in it, it was the type that had a little extra space on the side for journaling. It was super evident that the man ate his Bible like food. The only thing keeping it from falling apart was the hard-bind cover that certainly did not come with the Bible from the printing press.
Soon, Gideon was back, ‘Perhaps she’ll like this flavoured water. We use natural fruit to flavour it for the benefit of those who would like to do water therapy but need some encouragement. It’s ninety percent natural water. It’s a new product though’. He handed both bottles over to Joshua who expressed his gratitude and went up stairs afterwards.
Gideon was just about settling back into his study to pick up from where he stopped when he heard Joshua’s steps towards him. ‘I apologise for the intrusion, again’ he said. Gideon, settling aside his pen, he laughed heartily. ‘The intrusion is welcomed’.
‘May I sit?’ Joshua asked.
‘By all means. Please be comfortable.’
Pulling out a chair, Joshua sat and wondered what exactly he was to say to this man he barely knew. Gideon’s voice rang through his mind.
‘What is on your mind?’
‘Honestly? I am not sure why I came back downstairs. But out of curiosity, I’ll like to know why you requested we stay behind.’
‘Honestly, I don’t know either. It just felt like the right thing to do. But it doesn’t really matter because God is in control right?’ Gideon said that with such lightheartedness. But Joshua didn’t feel light hearted.
‘How can I trust God in control when He is making a very huge demand of me?’
‘Hmmmm.’ Gideon also wondered at the young man’s question because when his wife shared with him what happened while he was away, he also pondered on it. He said to Bisi, ‘You think about it too. What if God made such a demand of us too? Would we be quick to give it up? Our first child?’
Bisi did not respond immediately. She also had this very thoughtful look on her face until she eventually spoke. She said, ‘Don’t we all have our heavy crosses to bear? The good thing there is with Jesus, it gets lighter after every step because He bears it with us. Their cross seems heavy but ours is no little in weight either. Not that I am comparing but that it surely was this difficult at the initial stance but now, we have come to peace and learnt to trust God’s hand over us’.
Their room fell silent after Bisi spoke and both seemed to ponder on it. Gideon was thinking, ‘We haven’t had a child for all these years but here is someone God gave a child but He is asking that she give it out…’ Bisi was thinking the exact same thing.
Now with Joshua seated right next to him, the man needed God’s assurance more than his own almost step into self-pity.
‘Do you doubt God is in control?’
Joshua, shaking his head, ‘No. No I don’t’.
‘So why the question?’ Gideon asked.
‘Daddy Ojo, I really don’t know. Perhaps I am still fighting it. So hard to think that God would give us a child and without even getting to know her, we must give her up! Why? What purpose does He have in doing that?
Why can’t He just give the people we are to give the child to their own baby? Why does it have to be Little-P? Can’t some other person’s child be given like those who already have many they can’t even care for or those young teen girls who end up dumping the unwanted child in a dumpster?
Why does it have to be the one that Daniella and I conceived? Our very first pregnancy?
How does any of this align with His eternal plan or any other plan for that matter…’
Joshua ranted on and on for the next fifteen minutes, none stop. He grumbled, complained, murmured and every other thing in between. He simply had no room for gratitude. By the time he was done or seemed done, he was in so much tears.
Gideon stood up, got him a glass of water to ease out Joshua’s hiccupping. Joshua drank the water and did feel calmer. Gideon handed him a box of tissues so that he could wipe his tears and blow out his blocked nostrils.
When everything seemed calmer, Gideon then asked, ‘Can God do wrong? You seem quite sure, certain even that God has instructed your family to do this. If you are very certain this is God’s will for your family, the unborn child, do you think God is making a mistake?’
Joshua could not sit still anymore. He got up from the chair and began to pace around the dining room. He paced for a while then sat right back into the chair. ‘I have walked with God for more than half of my life. If I am certain of three things so far since then, I am saved, I have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and in matters of grave importance like this one, I am most certain it is God without a shadow of doubt.
There is no denial that God has ordained this lot for my wife and I. However, He has never demanded I give up anything this great before. I have always trusted Him with my life, with running the affairs of my family and I still do. However, I cannot deny that trusting Him this time around is harder than I have ever experienced. I am finding it difficult to wholeheartedly say yes to Him this time around.’
Gideon looked at him intently and he could sense the direction the Lord was leading him to as a response to Joshua. ‘Let us pray before I say what I believe is impressed on my heart for you.’
Dear Father, thank You for orchestrating Joshua and Daniella’s steps into our home and for all that is going on with them right now. Please speak Your heart to us and give us the courage to say yes to Your will even this time. In Jesus name, Amen!’
‘I was just reading the story of Abram and God telling him to leave his father’s house. The Bible tells us that Abram left all and without knowing where exactly. He hadn’t even gotten any promise from God. Yet he left… the same way the disciples of Jesus left their jobs and all else just to faithfully follow Jesus without any promises of a reward.
Abram as I see it teaches us that it is okay not to know exactly what God has in mind or have an assurance that this is where we are headed… still God can be trusted and entrusted with one’s life.
Leaving his father’s family behind, letting go of Ishmael must have been very difficult decisions yet Abraham obeyed. When it came to letting go of Isaac, that must have been the toughest decision of his life. It had three days journey to think it over and over again to see if he would go ahead with it or not.
Even while he climbed that mountain and prepared the altar, he must have kept on thinking, ‘should I, should I not?’
Today, we learn from him that God can be trusted. You see, I am not saying that like God stopped the sacrifice of Isaac God would stop your own giving up of the baby. But I am saying that even if God endorses it till the end, you can trust that He has His eternal plan and He is faithful.
You should consider it all joy and worthy of thanksgiving to the Lord that you undoubtedly recohnise God’s will. You should then ask for grace to do it. No one is able to do God’s will by human strength. We simply are too selfish to absolutely do God’s will in the acceptable fashion.
So what I believe you and your wife should start doing daily is to ask for grace to do God’s will wholeheartedly and not turn your back on absolute obedience to God!
Joshua, this is a cross you have to carry and I am not saying it is an easy one. Instead, I am saying it is one God wants to carry through you. God gives and He takes whether in life or in death. Just let His will be done and practice offering Him thanksgiving. It has more dividends than grumbling.’
Joshua who had kept his head bowed all the while Gideon was speaking finally looked up. ‘Please pray with me, for us, that our faith and trust in God will not fail that we may pass this test with great grace.’
They both rose from their chairs and they prayed hard and long. By the time they were done, it was just about four in the morning but Joshua had not felt that light in months.
When Joshua climbed in beside his wife on the bed, she barely felt his absence. She had not slept that peacefully in a very long while.
Meanwhile, Gideon came in and met his wife awake. She had also been awake and was just rounding off her prayers. ‘You haven’t slept?’
‘I did but I was prompted to awake like two hours ago. I felt the need to pray.’
‘What about?’ Gideon asked.
‘Not sure exactly. I didn’t have the right words to pray so I prayed in the Holy Ghost. It’s almost daylight, let’s catch a little bit of sleep.’
—————————–
Wheeeeew!
How do you show to those who are dear to you that the Father in heaven is worth more than many fathers here on earth?
Drop your comments in the comments section below.
Catch up on all previous Checkmate episodes here.
Need more Nigerian Christian stories like this? Click here for more.
You can also download Free Nigerian Christian Novels here.
Checkmate Episode 32
Discover more from The BUD Family Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
